TALLAHASSEE, Fla.–Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that a SUR-13 gang member was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to Racketeering and Conspiracy to Engage in Racketeering. Luis "Casper" Ortiz, 22, of Bradenton participated in the SUR-13 gang from 2005 to 2009 through the commission of burglary and other dangerous crimes.

“These gang members ravage Florida’s communities,” stated Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Thanks to a strong partnership with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office, we have removed another SUR-13 gang member from our streets and put him behind bars.”

Of the 11 co-defendants arrested as a part of this case, one has already been sentenced, eight are set for trial in November, and the remaining defendant will be sentenced at a later date. The case was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and was prosecuted through a partnership between the Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution and the State Attorney’s Office for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit.